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Understanding

Carbon Footprinting

Calculating your company’s carbon footprint (Greenhouse Gas emissions) is an essential part of your corporate sustainability program, and the first step in making significant carbon reductions.

With over 20 years’ experience in assessing carbon footprints for our clients across a broad range of industries, the TZC team provides a turnkey solution for assessing your organization’s Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions.

We specialise in the identification of strategies for emissions reduction, customized tools and reporting support.

Your inventory can be used to identify emissions hotspots, set Science Based Targets (SBTI) for emissions reductions, the identification of abatement opportunities, and report to CDP, TCR, and other reporting bodies.

 A large proportion of most companies Green House Gas (GHG) emissions are associated with their scope 3 inventory.

TZC is experienced in determining the appropriate Scope 3 categories to assess for your business and compiling these complex inventories in accordance with the GHG protocol.

Our Services

Our footprinting services are easily tailored to support your organisations objectives. Measuring and understanding your emission drivers is one of the first steps needed to cut carbon and energy costs.

Through establishing the initial baseline, it facilitates measuring subsequent savings and highlights opportunities to reduce your emissions from the outset

With over 20 years of experience providing a wide spectrum of climate-related services, we can help you:

  • Assess carbon footprint for Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3
  • Identify ways to reduce emissions
  • Set emissions reduction goals
  • Customized inventory calculation tool
  • Report to CDP, the Climate Registry, or other reporting platforms
  • Improve your CDP score
  • Go beyond GHGs to assess your short-lived climate pollutant (SLCP) inventory.

Once we have completed the carbon footprinting exercise, we can set about creating a carbon roadmap or reduction strategy aligned with Science Based Targets (SBTi) or net zero, depending on your objectives.

Our Process

We help you disclose and manage your emissions through the following steps:

  • Define the boundaries for emissions included in your footprint.
  • Collect data on GHG emissions.
  • Establish the footprint using the latest climate science.
  • Analyze the contribution of different facilities and suppliers.
  • Identify best practices to reduce your emissions.
  • Report on your current emission levels internally, or to CDP or the Climate Registry.

The primary output from a carbon footprinting exercise is a comprehensive report, detailing your organisations carbon footprint, a register of opportunities for improvement and a set of recommendations for setting, measuring progress and achieving organisational objectives.

Frequently Asked Questions

A carbon footprint is the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the activities of an individual, organisation, event or product. Both direct and indirect emissions are accounted for and are expressed as a carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). A carbon footprint includes all six Kyoto GHG emissions:

  • carbon dioxide (CO2)
  • methane (CH4)
  • nitrous oxide (N2O)
  • hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
  • perfluorocarbons (PFCs)
  • sulphur hexafluoride (SF6)

By calculating your carbon footprint, you can identify sources of emissions throughout your operations. This can lead to the identification of opportunities for improvement, ultimately making your organisation greener.

Organisations are increasingly participating in disclosure projects such as the CDP, science based targets and for inclusion in internal CSR reporting programmes.

Carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) is the universal unit of measurement which communicates the impact each of the Kyoto GHG emissions to be conveyed in a single unit, relative to one unit of CO2. CO2e is calculated by multiplying the emissions of each gas by it’s 100-year global warming potential (GWP).

Emissions are broken down into different categories or “scopes”, the scopes are determined by the level of control your organisation has over the activity with emissions under your direct control falling under scope 1.

Scope 1

Direct emissions associated with your organisaion. This includes things like on-site fuel combustion (heat/steam generations), process emissions, refrigerant losses and company vehicles.

Scope 2

Indirect emissions from any imported services (electricity, heat or steam).

Scope 3

Any other indirect emissions, for example purchased goods and services, use of sold goods, employee commuting and business travel etc.

The steps to follow when calculating your carbon footprint are:

  1. Determine the methodology to be followed,
  2. Define the scope and boundary,
  3. Collect data,
  4. Apply emission factors,
  5. Validate the results,
  6. Identify opportunities to reduce emissions.

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